A trowel machine is commonly used in the process of constructing foundations, such as those for a garage and basement, and more specifically is generally used to smooth the surface of freshly poured concrete floors. The trowel machine is commonly transported in the bed of a truck, such as a pick-up truck, and in order to use the machine, it must be lifted from the truck and lowered onto the working area. These machines are heavy and awkwardly shaped, which makes them difficult to move around. The most common method for lifting the machine from the truck and lowering it into place involves physical manpower whereby three men manually move the machine from the truck into place. This manner of moving the machine is physically demanding and can be dangerous due to the size, weight, and awkward shape of the machine. In addition, the bottom of the machine contains a number of sharp blades that can easily injure those attempting to lift and lower the machine if mishandled. Another method of moving the machine involves the use of a bobcat that is used to lift the machine using a rope or chain. However, this method requires an expensive piece of machinery. Also, a bobcat is not always available and even if it is, it is not easily transported along with the machine and it is also not specifically designed to perform this task.
Various types of hoists have been developed for lifting objects. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,300 discloses a hoist that can be mounted to the parapet of a building and that is used for lifting objects to the roof of the building. However, this hoist is not designed for raising and lowering a trowel machine. This hoist also requires a complex brace system to support the hoist. Additionally, this hoist is not suited to be attached to a foundation particularly since it is secured to the parapet with four small bolts. Not only would bolts be generally insufficient to safely support the hoist, but the bolts could cause structural damage to the wall itself, which is not desirable. Also, due to the design of this hoist, including the complex brace structure, this hoist does not allow for quick assembly, attachment, and detachment.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,499,610 discloses a hoist that can be mounted on either the roof of a building or in the bed of a truck for lifting loads. However, this hoist does not appear to have the range for either lifting a trowel machine out of a truck or lowering it into place, particularly because the hoist will be elevated off the ground and also because of the distance from the hoist, located in the bed of the truck, to the foundation. It is also not apparent that the mounting system disclosed in this patent would be adequate to support a trowel machine based on the design of the support structure for this hoist. Also, the design of the support structure of this hoist does not allow for quick assembly, attachment, and detachment.
Accordingly, a device and method for moving a trowel machine that overcomes these deficiencies are needed.